Aronofsky follows his debut, the ingenious sci-fi fable Pi, with an adaptation of Hubert Selby Jr's novel that's as harrowing as it is brilliantly executed. It's a bleak vision focusing on four addictive personalities, Harry Goldfarb (Leto), his mother Sara (Burstyn), girlfriend Marion (Connelly) and pal Tyrone (Wayans), whose vices range from hard drugs to television game shows. Aronofsky creates a strikingly subjective experience with various stylistic tricks, while the eerie retro-futuristic soundtrack by Clint Mansell and the Kronos Quartet underscores the filmmaker's vision. Yet, bleak as the film is, it's also heart-rending drama thanks to the gutsy performances, particularly Burstyn's devastating turn that'll have grown men weeping in the aisles.